Coroner identifies one person who perished in house fire; one still undergoing treatment

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said the elderly woman who was rescued from a home that caught fire and resulted in two fatalities Aug. 9 was released from the hospital Thursday.

Fire officials said the fire, which occurred in the 9200 block of Empire Rock Street, in the area of Iron Mountain Road and U.S. 95, is still under investigation.

The Clark County Coroner's Office said Chester Nunnally, 71, of Memphis, Tenn., was one of the casualties of the fire. His cause of death is pending. Coroners are still investigating the identity of the second person who was killed.

The elderly woman's husband, who also resided at the home, is still being treated in University Medical Center's burn unit.

Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Syzmanski said the department would not release the names of the couple.

The fire was reported at 11:53 p.m. Aug. 9, fire officials said.

The pair who escaped the fire told neighbors that two elderly people, including Nunnally, were still inside the burning home, Syzmanski said. Firefighters quickly found one person dead in the home, but the second victim was not found until after 4 a.m. due to the large amount of debris from the fire.

Neighbors suggested that Nunnally and the unidentified person were visiting the elderly couple at the time.

The bulk of the fire was extinguished within an hour and the fire was under control by 1:30 a.m., Szymanski said.